The Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age drum and bugle corps

Drum and bugle corps (modern)

A drum and bugle corps, also known as a drum corps, is a musical marching unit consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, and color guard. Typically operating as independent non-profit organizations, drum corps perform in competitions, parades, festivals, and other civic functions...

 based in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

 that competes in the Drum Corps Associates

Drum Corps Associates

Drum Corps Associates is the governing body for modern senior or all-age drum and bugle corps in North America. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps International which governs junior drum corps...

circuit. The corps is sponsored by Charles R. Gailey VFW Post #7340, the Boy Scouts of America Explorer Post #2105, and the Pride of Cincinnati Winter Guard.

History

The Cincinnati Tradition Drum & Bugle Corps was formed in 1984. The founders, Tom Slade and Dan Hartwig decided to add to the championship drum line of the Siver Spectrum. With adding brass and color guard to the drum line, it was decided they needed a new name, thus the Cincinnati Tradition. With the help of the Pride of Cincinnati Drum & Bugle Corps which folded at the end of the 1984 season, they were able to acquire the much needed brass instruments. The Tradition were the Ohio VFW Parade Champions in 1984, 1985 and 1986. The Tradition took 1st Place at the 1988 Norwood Centennial Parade. They were also selected in 1988 to perform in the City of Cincinnati Bicentennial Parade. The Tradition took 2 years off in 1995 and 1996 to help Mike "Cozy" Baker form the Mirage Sr. Drum & Bugle Corps in Miamisburg, Ohio. In 1997 and 1998 some members went to march with the Bombardiers in Columbus, Ohio. In 1998 the Tradition came back to Cincinnati and have been active in the Tri-State area ever since. The Tradition performs in exhibitions in Cincinnati, Centerville, and the Columbus area.

Recent Years/Traditions

For most of its existence, Cincinnati Tradition has been considered a senior drum corps. In recent years, interest from high school students has allowed Tradition to transform into an all-age corps. For the past few seasons, Tradition has gone to the DCA championships as a mini-corps, but performed at local Ohio shows with a field show. Mini corps are all-age or senior drum corps who have no more than 21 performing members and perform their show standing on stage after Individual & Ensemble Performances.

Tradition, by rules of DCA, is an any-key ensemble. This means that all bell-front brass instruments are legal to play in competition, such as Bb trumpets, F mellophones, Bb Contra Bass tubas, etc. However, keeping with tradition of older drum corps, Tradition fields a corps of almost all G bugles. The current 2011 season has Tradition with a full G bugle line. This makes Tradition one of the last drum corps to field a full G bugle line. Other notable exceptions include The Commandant's Own U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, and The United States Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps. Not only does Tradition employ a full G bugle line, the corps is the only competing corps in the United States, DCA or DCI, to still use piston/rotor bugles. The Baritone and Contrabass bugle sections are a mix of piston/rotor, two valve, and three valve bugles. The mellophone section is three valve, as well as most of the soprano line, with a few two valve sopranos in the mix. As of the 2011 season, Tradition no longer requires the use of piston/rotor or two valve bugles. Enough three valve bugles for the entire horn line to play on are either member-owned or corps provided. The 2010 drumline is very strong, even marching drums built specific to the 2010 show. These specially built drums were created from a standard set of quad-toms, which was reduced to a tri-tom configuration, allowing for the attachment of various cymbals, tambourines, or cowbells, thus eliminating the need for these instruments in a percussion pit, which allows for the corps to maximize the number of performers on the field for the best visual effects. In 2011, all of the battery percussion was returned to standard quint-tom configuration, and a pit was added to increase membership by those whose talents may lie elsewhere, such as with pit percussion, such as mallets, vibes, and gongs or bass drums.

1999

A Tribute to Tom Slade Sr.-

• "Taps"
• "Hymn in F"
• "Spain"
• "Trumpeter's Prayer"
• "You'll Never Walk Alone"
• "Amazing Grace"
• "God Bless America"

2002

Tribute To 9-11-

• "Taps"
• "Olympic Fanfare"
• "God Bless America"
• "Stars and Stripes"
• "Taps"

2010

Tradition Hispaña Segunda Parte-

• "Bully"
• "One More Time Chuck Corea"
• "Zorro's Theme - From the Motion Picture The Mask of Zorro"

2011

El Corazón de Andalucía-

• "Zorro's Theme - From the Motion Picture The Mask of Zorro"
• "Diego's Goodbye - From the Motion Picture The Mask of Zorro"
• "Malaga"

2012

An Evening with Stan Kenton-

• "Here's That Rainy Day"
• "Artistry in Rhythm Suite"
• "Send in the Clowns"
• "A Brief Percussive Moment"
• "Malaga 2012"

Scores

Starting in 2009 with the Mini-Corps performance, Tradition has become a competing DCA corps. For most of their existence, Tradition only performed field shows at exhibition, which means it was not judged or critiqued. 2010 marks the first season Tradition has received a score for a field performance as well.

2010

• Emerald City Artistry in Motion (DCI), Dublin, OH: 59.538
• Summer Music Games (DCI), Fairfield, OH: 58.500
• Soaring Sounds 30 (DCI), Centerville, OH: 62.150
• Dayton Summer Classic (DCI), Dayton, OH: 64.550
• DCA Class A Preliminary Competition, Rochester, NY: 67.675

2011

• Summer Music Games (DCI), Fairfield, OH: Exhibition Only
• Emerald City Games (DCI), Dublin, OH: 57.55
• Soaring Sounds 32 (DCI), Centerville, OH:
• Dayton Summer Classic (DCI), Dayton, OH: 62.30
• Kiltie Classic (DCA), Racine, WI: 63.20
• DCA Class A Preliminary Competition, Rochester, NY:

External links

• Official Site